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Some steps that can make Barton County a more hospitable for pedestrians and a more healthful place to live require little more than new signs and paint, Barton County Health Department Public Health Educator Janel Rose told the County Commission Wednesday morning.

BARTON COUNTY - About two miles east of Great Bend in the 300 block of East Barton County Rd., Dianna L. Werick of Hoisington was eastbound at 8:40 a.m. on Saturday. She lost control of the vehicle and it left the roadway, went through the south ditch and struck a tree, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol Crash Log.

Great Bend residents looking for a place to dispose of Christmas trees can use the city compost site, but they need to remove all tinsel, hooks and decorations, said Street Superintendent Mike Crawford. If the tree is in a bag, the bag also needs to be removed.

There are many good things about a fresh coating of snow on the ground, especially for those who are avid outdoor enthusiasts. Fresh powder makes for ideal skiing conditions as well as opportunities for snowshoeing and snowboarding.

The Great Bend Recreation Center hosted Kids Day Out Thursday and Friday, December 27 and 28. The two-day camp offers kids ages six to 12 a break after several days home from school during winter break. The kids played games, made crafts, decorated cookies and had snacks, watched movies and went bowling.

Editor's note: Below is a recap of some of the activities of Barton County departments presented to the County Commission Wednesday. It is the second of two stories highlighting the year-in-review. This is the second of two stories.

Editor's note: This is the first of two stories about how iPads are helping teachers zero in on behavioral issues at Helping Hands Preschool. The Sunflower Diversified Services Foundation recently donated two iPads to the school and one to its own Early Education Center. The second article will explain Sunflower's point of view.

Editor's note: Below is a recap of some of the activities of Barton County departments presented to the County Commission Wednesday. It is the first of two stories highlighting the year-in-review. The second story will appear in Sunday's Tribune.

Although officially on vacation, United Way of Central Kansas Executive Director Julie Bugner Smith sat in her office Thursday morning catching up on the pile of work created by the holidays. However, even though the season has caused much of the door-to-door fundraising to grind to a halt, UWCK remains on track to meet its $235,000 goal, due in large part to the increased use of social media.

Students have been out of school enjoying winter break, and there's still another six days to go. As temperatures dip into the teens and 20s, and snow remains elusive, kids are either reaching ever increasing levels and high-scores on popular video games, making ever deeper indentations on the family sofa as they watch yet one more episode of Good Luck Charlie or Phineas and Ferb, or driving their siblings and/or parents up a wall out of sheer boredom.

Lindsey Bogner, Clara Barton Hospital's foundation assistant, was on the hot seat Tuesday afternoon as she fielded questions at a forum at Barton Community College. One of two candidates for the position of Executive Director of Institutional Advancement, having already met with Barton Community College Foundation board members, it was the faculty and staff's turn, as well as members of the community, to interview her and provide their written feedback.

The Barton County Sheriff's Office responded to a possible injury accident at 1:05 a.m. Monday on K-4, about 1 mile west of the K-4/U.S. 281 junction, or half a mile east of NW 50 Ave. Although a 2008 Ford F-150 slid off the snow-packed highway and rolled 1.5 times, everyone was wearing seat belts and they were not injured.

Beginning Feb. 23 and running through March 6, the Great Bend Police Department will join other Kansas Law Enforcement agencies to stop what has been an epidemic for the past several years – teens not using seatbelts.

Overly dark vehicle windows are a threat to the safety of the public and to the police officers patrolling the streets, Great Bend Police Sgt. Jay Bachar told the Great Bend City Council Monday night. So, the City of Great Bend Police Department is undertaking a strong effort to monitor window tinting.

As of this weekend, there were two laboratory-confirmed cases of whooping cough in Great Bend, Barton County Health Director Shelly Schneider said Monday morning. One of the cases is in a school-age child and the other in a younger child, both of whom had been vaccinated.

The county employees honored for longevity by the Barton County Commission represented 270 collective years of service to the county. Recognized were folks who have had continuous employment for five, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 35 years.